Common Threads

Mary Oliver Mash-Up, May 2

Yesterday’s poem was modeled after Mary Oliver’s “If You are Holding This Book,” from her book Dog Songs.

If You Are Holding My Hand

you may not agree, you may not care, but
if you are holding my hand you should know
that of all the sights I love in this world –
and there are plenty – very near the top of
the list is this one:  a mountain cabin
in a raging blizzard
with a blazing fireplace
and obscure books.

   -Kim Johnson

Poetry challenge: Borrow lines from your favorite poet to create a new poem.

Poetry challenge from Sarah Donovan: choose any day of our 39 days of poetry and borrow the lines of various poets to create a new poem.

Facing May Without My Fellow Poets

Today, somehow I knew

A cloud has rolled in
Its teeth like bones that landed wrong

There is a WAR going on

The wind howls
In a brazen blizzard

Waves approaching

Unfocused
Adrift

Reality of this world’s daily strife
Let me go!
Take this burden

Shut the drapes
Pull down the shades

Fading in the rearview are the dusty roads

Joy lives in the noticing

-Kim Johnson

Day 10 Lines – A Patchwork Poem – special thanks to Melinda Buchanan, Susie Morice, Gail Saathoff, Alex, Michelle Hubbard, Amy Rasmussen, Steve Z, Ambre Lee, Glenda Funk, Anna Roseboro, Deb Matero, and Sarah Donovan for your quilt-squares

Poetry challenge from Aida Salazar:  Take an original poem you’ve written, but change words and punctuation to rewrite it in a different voice, such as a child’s voice, a comedian’s voice, a mortician’s voice, etc. 

What a fun challenge to write in another voice.  Here is my original poem:

A Second Letter

The Yellow Envelope
contains The Secret –
Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister
Three Days Missing
After The Funeral,
Eat
Pray
Love
as you are Learning To Walk In The Dark
there is A Hope in the Unseen
when you feel Alone
may you find Peace Like A River
Remember Me Always
i’ll be Where The Heart Is

-Kim Johnson

Here it is rewritten, in the voice of a small southern town gossipin’ woman in church:

The Grievin’ Widder

That there cheap pine box
seals the mystery she reckons she’s keepin’.

Talk of the Town! 

“A wife and at least a dozen mistresses…..”
“Poor Beverly,” they’s sayin’.

Well, let me tell you – she may be wearin’ her black dress today.

But after the funeral, she’ll go shoppin’ for
Velvet violet
Silver sequins
Glitzy gold

After the funeral,
There’ll be a rich widder runnin’ loose in the town.

Once she’s figgered right,
She’ll marry another rich ‘un –
richer’n the others.

She’ll be keepin’ her black dress ready. 

  -Kim Johnson

Poetry challenge from Aida Salazar:  Write a poem of a cycle or process from beginning to end – a seed or plant, birth to death or anywhere in between.

Mayan Frost

6
Big round waking orb
Eye opening slowly
Peering out over the blanket of pines
Ready or not to face the day

7
Rising slowly
Sluggish day jobber
Not quite ready to fully emerge
But still you rise

8
Both feet on the ground
Embracing the day
Extending full rays
Flashing a just-brushed toothy gleam
To a rapt audience

10
Like an over-charged cup of Starbucks
Sudden jolting glares
Blinding sunglassed drivers
Through windshields

12
You shine most brightly
At the height of your day
Climbing the ladder as high as it can take you
In this job
Lunch on the run – airplanes, kites, birds
Fuel for the day

2
Rain and clouds darken your shine
But you steal their thunder –
A light surge of effort for you

6
You clock out and head home
Miles to go before you sleep
Change into more comfy duds
Shed all the glinting bling

9
You stretch out to reflect on the day
Glimmers of hope for a brighter tomorrow
Succumb to a nightcap
Feet-first, climb under the covers
Call it a day

12
Big round blanketed orb,
Shooting stars patting your upturned bottom
Dreams alive in other worlds
Until tomorrow

-Kim Johnson

Poetry challenge from Aida Salazar:  write a FREE VERSE poem that describes how celestial bodies affect you

ONE WITH THE CRAB

Cancer the Crab:  a sign of water – blue water
Island girl born peaceful and tranquilly crabby

Dim constellation in a quiet corner of the universe
She’s an oyster

Requires a telescope to see all his stars
Keeps her layers hidden, too

He boasts a beehive cluster of stars
Rich honey blocked by bees

Northern Donkey and Southern Donkey Stars at his heart
Explain the blue donkey at hers

Asellus Borealis and Asellus Australis
She’s Double-Stubborn, too

Origin of nativity pictures – donkeys behind a manger
She’s behind that manger as well

“Blind Stars” predict poor eyesight
Bumps into walls, but prophetic like Teiresias

“Stubborn donkeys” see what others cannot see in the path –
     protect others as they resist
She perceives what others don’t

His Superearth a “diamond world”
She’s the strongest stuff on Earth

 -Kim Johnson

Poetry challenge from Kip Wilson – write a poem that replaces lyrics with a popular or well-known song:

First line borrowed from Mary Oliver’s “The Hermit Crab”

Poem set to the chorus of “Still, Still, Still”

RESCUED

Once I looked inside
All the darkness that you could not hide
I found you fear noises
Saw you shun strangers
Learned you love living
Knew you’d need nurture
Once I reached inside
I found a friend who’ll remain by my side.

-Kim Johnson

Kip Wilson’s poetry challenge:  Write a poem about a school memory – good or bad.

Poetry challenge from Kip Wilson: write a poem using ten words you highlight from any news article, to make something not so happy something happy.

Words Highlighted:
Yellow rain slicker
Red stripes
Aviator sunglasses
Slicked-back hair
Scronched
Pummelled
Plane-sized
Pretzels

Poetry challenge from Kip Wilson – write a poem about a historical figure with whom you’ve always been fascinated.